Together Forever?
by Gandalf3213
Summary: They've always been together, like Shaggy and Scooby. But what if one day Scooby wasn't there? nonslash, just a lot of brotherly love.
1. New Town

**I don't own Suite Life.**

_Why do we have to go through this every time?_

That's all Cody could think as four of the biggest boys in the school advanced on him and Zack. He glanced sideways at his twin, and saw that his eyes were tilted, focused. Cody imitated him and balled his hands into fists. They were used to fighting together. They had done it countless times before.

Maybe it was a ritual. For new kids to be beaten to a bloody pulp before they could make friends in a school. As if they didn't have enough things to worry about.

"Do you think you can take the two smallest ones?" Zack asked Cody out of the corner of his mouth. He nodded; they really weren't all that much smaller but you had to work with what you had. Cody looked up and down the deserted alley, finding routes for escape if anything went wrong.

"Get ready." Zack warned. The boys were on top of us now, ready to start swinging.

That was their first mistake.

The biggest one-obviously the leader, took the first swing, aiming towards Zack's nose. It was a big round-house swing, so Zack stepped into the arch of his arm out of harms way.

Cody, meanwhile, punched the guy's neck. One of the pressure points on the body. He didn't miss. The other guy was on the ground in two seconds.

The twins turned to face the rest of the boys, who had stopped their advance. They looked at each other nervously, wanting orders now that their leader was down.

Zack and Cody took a few steps nearer to them, getting ready to fight.

The boys took off down the alley, looking back once to make sure they weren't being followed.

They weren't.

Zack and Cody stood there for a few minutes in silence, relishing their victory. It was Cody who talked first. "Do you remember the way back to-where ever it is we live now?"

Zack started to nod, then frowned and shook his head. "No."

Cody sighed, "Neither do I, do you remember the name?"

Zack searched his memory, trying to call up the name of the hotel their mom was working at now. "The Tipton?" he said uncertainly.

"Yeah, that sounds right." Cody smiled at his brother. "By the way, nice job taking down that guy." He looked over at the boy still lying motionless on the ground and laughed.

Zack laughed with him. "Yeah, we really did it. Those goons didn't now what hit them!"

The twins were laughing all the way to the hotel.

* * *

**Wow, that's us. And the Dragons.**

Yup.

**Cool.**

If you're reding this, review.


	2. New Girl

**Suite Life not mine.**

We had finally managed to find our way back to our new house. Or hotel, since I guess that's what it really was. I looked over at Cody. Mum was just going to _kill_ us! We both had dirt and mud caked to our clothes, Cody had a long cut down one cheek, and I had what felt like the beginnings of a really magnificent black eye.

We walked across the still unfamiliar lobby. There were people everywhere! Unfortunately, one of those people happened to b mum. She came over and grabbed both of us by the ear. "You two look like a couple of convicts!" she whispered in our ears. "Go upstairs right now!" she pushed us over to the elevators.

"Hey Zack, Cody!" I turned around when I heard my name-Cody did too. A girl was coming towards us... she looked familiar...and she was really cute.

"You probably don't remember me-I go to your school. I'm Max." the girl stuck out her hand first to Cody, then to me. "I saw what happened to you. Those dorks do that to everyone." She smiled at us. "But I guess they won't be bothering you anymore."

"You want to come upstairs?" I asked. I knew Cody was thinking the same thing. "We have an awesome game system!" The girl-Max shrugged.

"Sure, which floor do you live on?" a question I didn't have an answer to.

"26. Floor number twenty-six." Cody spoke up. I looked over at him; he was blushing bright red under all the mud. Cody has a hard time speaking to girls sometimes.

I ushered Max towards the elevator. "Okay, let's go."

Cody shook his head. "No, you two go on ahead. I need to do something down here." He winked at me. "Now's your chance, bro." he mouthed.

"Thanks." I mouthed back. Cody winked at me as the elevator door shut.

* * *

**So now he's going to do something really stupid.**

Yup. Review.


	3. New Guys

**I don't own it.**

Cody wandered around the lobby, trying to familiarize himself with it. With all the people, and all the places, and all the food.

Cody finally got bored of just exploring the lobby. He decided to get out and look around the block, maybe find a good comic book store.

AS he was leaving the building, a man called out to him. "Hey kid, help us over here!" Cody looked in the direction of the voice. Two men were trying to get a heavy-looking couch into a truck. Cody remembered his mom's rule about never helping strangers, but there were people everywhere, what's the worst that could happen?

He went over to the men and-following their instructions-held open a large metal door. After much maneuvering, the two men finally managed to get the couch in.

"Thanks kid." The man with the brown beard said. He held out his hand.

"Happy to help," Cody replied, taking the hand. He felt a prick-like a needle-going into his hand. He suddenly felt very, very tired.

Then he blacked out.

* * *

"Ouch!" Zack exclaimed, putting a hand to the back of his head. The pain had been almost unbearible, but it was gone now.

"What's the matter?" Max asked, putting down her controller and looking at Zack, concerned.

Zack frowned. "I don't know..." his voice drifted off, then he smiled. It doesn't matter now. What really matters is the fact that I can kick your butt in Mario."

"No you don't!" Max smiled, playfully punching Zack on the arm.

Zack grinned. "Oh yes I do. I can beat a _girl_ anyday!" Max smacked him agian on the arm and Zack laughed. But deep down inside, he was worried.

_Where was Cody?_

* * *

**What'd I tell you, he went and got himself kidnapped!  
**Shut up, you'll give the whole story away!  
**Man, your plot's see-through. I like it.**

Review?


	4. New Questions

**Don't own it. Don't sue me.**

When Cody woke up, he was in a basement. Not that he could see much of anything, just the things that were illuminated by the square of light coming through the window. All around him was, well, junk. Parts of toys. Empty boxes. Scraps of metal. Basically your average garage.

Except for the fact that he was here. He knew that he had been kidnapped, he could feel it in his gut. He also knew that it was about seven o' clock (points tothe stomach for that one)

Why was he here? Cody contemplated that thought over and over, turning it in his mind. His mum wasn't rich, especailly now that she and dad just got divorced. Why would anybody want to kidnap a nobody like him?

Cody tried to move, but realized after several fruitless attempts that he was tied to the chair by his hands and ankles. He also had a gag in his mouth. Cody had heard stories of kids who had gotten kidnapped. He knew that they were often killed, or beaten, or raped.

When he tought of these terrible things, tears sprang to his eyes. He wanted to be home, in New York. He wanted to be with his dad and his mum, but mostly he wanted-no, he needed Zack. He needed his brother to hug him, and tell him that he was alright, that it was just a bad dream.

He needed his brother to wake him up.

He needed Zack to save him.

* * *

Zack took pride in the fact that he rarely freaked out. He was freaking out now.

Zack was wondering around the new hotel, looking for Cody. He knew that Cody wouldn't have gone far without himself, Zack, to explore with him.

Zack went up to the candy counter. A blond girl was working there. She couldn't have been that much older then Zack, and normally, Zack would have flirted with her.

But Cody came first. Always.

"S'cuse me." he said. The girl looked at him.

"Hi." she said. "You're one of the sons of that new singer, right?"

"Yeah." Zack replied hurridly. "Listen, I can't find my brother. He must have wondered off."

If the girl wasn't listening before, she definetly was listening now. "What's your brother's name and what des he look like. I can send out a call for him."

"His name's Cody, and he's like this big-" Zack held a hand four and a half feet off the floor. "-and has blond hair...Wait, what am I talking about." Zack hit himself on the head. "He looks exactly like me. We're twins."

"I saw a person that looked like you, little blond person." a man holding luggage came up behind Zack. "He went in a car with two men peoples. Like three hours ago. Must have been your dad."

Zack turned pale and gripped the candy counter.

"What's the matter?" The girl asked worridly.

"Our father's in Arkansas by now. He couldn't have taken Cody." Inside, Zack was broken. He knew in his heart that Cody hadn't gone with those men willingly. 'I'll find you, Cody.' Zack vowed. 'I swear I will.'

* * *

Where is Cody? Will Zack be able to find him before something horrible happens? Tune in next week, same time (maybe), same place (probably).

Oh yeah, don't forget to review.


	5. New Complications

**I don't own this show. Really, I don't.**

Cody was cold. So, so cold. He guessed he had been down in this basement for six hours now, and still he hadn't seen anybody. What in the world were they planning?

Cody gulped, thinking of the unspeakable idea that had been on the outskirts of his thoughts since he had first arrived in this place. Maybe, once they figured out that not everybody that came out of the Tipton was rich, they would…they would…kill him.

Cody shook his head. No, it wouldn't happen. Zack would be looking for him by now. He had to be.

But how will he find you?

The question came unbidden to Cody's mind. How would Zack find him if he, Cody, didn't know where he was himself?

"Please come Zack. And hurry."

* * *

That guy, Mr. Moe-ow-s-be? is okay. Zack decided. Once the candy counter girl and the guy with the weird accent had figured out that Cody had been kidnapped, they alerted the manager, and the manager, Mr. Moe-oe-s-be had alerted his mother.

That was the worst part, Zack decided. His mother knowing. After the inital shock of her baby, his brother, being kidnapped on his third day in a new city, she had crumpled and cried uncontrollably. The candy counter girl (Did the manager dude call her Maddie?) and a rich girl (was her name _really_ London?) had tried to comfort her. They couldn't. Zack knew that his mother would never be comforted again, not unless they found Cody. Zack knew what she was going through.

He felt the same way.

"We need to do something to find the other blond person." The guy with the weird accent (Este-something. Zack couldn't remember the last part) said passionatly.

"I know, Esteban. But Boston is a big city. There is very little we can do until the police get here." The manager dude said.

"That's not good enough!" Zack exclaimed passonately. "We must find him, Mr. Mowsbey!"

Mr. Moesby choose to ignore the mispronounsition of his name. He knew that the new boy had a lot on his mind. "I'm sorry, Zack is it? But there is nothing we can do at the moment."

Zack felt tears stream down his cheeks and brushed them away impatiantly. These grown-ups just didn't get it. He _needed_ to find Cody. He needed to make sure he was alright.

Because without Cody, Zack couldn't be whole.

* * *

Reviews? 


	6. New Thoughts

**I own this not.**

They came, eventually. Cody knew that they would. There were two of them; they circled around the chair, gawking at Cody. He was scared out of his mind.

"Who are you?" Cody asked, his voice wavering a little. One of the men slapped him across the face. "Never you mind." He said nastily.

Cody cowered and shrank away from the blow.

"You're going to answer some questions." The other man said, holding his own hand up threateningly. "And you'd better answer them right." The man looked so menacing that Cody knew that he would go through with whatever he said.

The young boy gulped as the men shut the door.

Zack was getting so tired of all the same questions. No less then five policemen had asked him the same things; "Where did you last see your brother?" "Do you know if anyone else saw him?" and his favorite, "Are you sure he didn't just wander off?"

Now Zack was sitting outside one of the closed doors. Alone. Nobody had thought to invite him in on the discussions.

Zack was beating himself up. He knew that he shouldn't, that it wasn't his fault what happened to Cody. But he still felt…responsible. He should have stayed with Cody. It was only there first week in Boston.

"Zack?"

Zack looked up when he heard his name. It was the candy counter girl. "I know how you must feel, being left out and everything. You want some company?"

Zack nodded mutely. He was glad that the girl had offered to sit with him.

"He was your twin brother, right?" she asked quietly.

"Is my twin brother." Zack looked at the girl. "But he's more then that. He's my best friend." Tears fell down Zack's cheeks. "And he's gone."

* * *

People reviewed! Thank you so much! Now do it again! 


	7. New Wounds

**Own nothing**

"We found him."

Zack looked up into the face of the younger-looking cop. The police officer had just come out of the room and told him the excellent news.

Zack laughed out loud. Then he started to cry. He looked around at all the other people around him through his tears and shook his head inanely. They'd found Cody. That was all the mattered. "Where is he?" Zack managed to ask after several minutes.

"Two peoples found the truck next to an old spooky house across town." The guy with the weird accent, Esteban? said.

"Let's go then!" Zack got up and would have run across the lobby if Mr. Mowsbi hadn't caught his shirt tail.

"I'm sorry, but it's to dangerous for you to be going, you'll have to stay here." The police officer explained gently.

"Mom. I have to go. It's _Cody_, mom. Please." Zack looked up at his mother and for one terrifying second was sure that she'd say no. His mother never said a word, but simply nodded her head.

"I give up." Said Mr. Moysbee and let go of Zack. He ran out of the hotel, the police officers and Maddie on his heals.

It was pitch black by the time the small group got to the far end of town. Zack had spotted the truck first.

"Let us get into the house before you." the young police officer said. He looked at Maddie. "You keep him here, young lady. Make sure no harm comes to him."

Maddie nodded and she and Zack watched as the officers staked out the house. After a few rounds around the building they motioned for the two adolescents to get out of the car. Maddie and Zack jogged over.

"Everything's gone. They must have upped and left." the older cop had a southern accent, it almost made Zack want to laugh. Almost.

"No. NO! We are close, I can feel it! Cody is here!" Zack tore away from Maddie's loose grasp and ran into the house and into the basement, the others right behind him.

Zack tore down the hall and flew down the staircase that led to the basement. He stood there, frozen in horror, until the others caught up with him.

"Zack? What's wrong?" Maddie asked, trying to grab his attention. Shakily, he looked up at them and then pointed towards the chair.

Cody ay naked on the chair, his wrists bound to the legs, one of which looked broken. A deep gash traveled across his midsection along with multiple and crudely sewn knife wounds. One ankle was clearly broken, and the shoulder that he had previously relocated, had been damaged once more. His face was pale and his lips blue as though he were extremely cold. Dark bruises covered any flesh that wasn't already lacerated and bleeding. Blood, along with a thick, white, slightly transparent substance, coated the inside of his bruised legs.

"Oh my god," The young officer whispered, moving slowly to the bed, "John, take Zack and call an ambulance.'

"But…"Zack began.

"Go Zack!" The young man snapped, frantically searching for the pale boy's pulse. Finding one, he fell to his knees, dropping his head onto the chair, quietly sobbing for the young boy who had been so harshly treated. His partner's giant hand clamped down on his shoulder briefly, and then he was gone, heavy footsteps echoing down the hall.

**Very weird.**

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Lots of explanations in the next chapter. if you review.


	8. New Beginnings

**Own nothing I do.**

"So these men were apprehended." Carrie said. It wasn't a question, more of a...confirmation.

"Yes ma'am. They turned themselves in not to long ago." The young officer-Zack had found out his name was Darrel- explained. "They offered no explanations at all."

Zack turned away from the conversation and looked at Cody. The doctors had said he would be alright, but Zack wanted Cody to wake up. Just to be sure.

Zack turned around when he heard his mother mention his name. "And Zack is so good with him. I hate to think what would happen if...well, if IT happened."

Zack turned back towards Cody. He felt so guilty over what had happened. He had refused to leave his brother's side since they had gotten to the hospital two days ago. He had watched Cody loyally through the entire ordeal, and when Cody had been in surgery (which had happened twice) Zack paced outside the OR waiting.

Waiting.

It seemed like Zack's entire life had been waiting. Waiting for the rain to stop; waiting for school to end. Waiting for the mail to come; waiting for Christmas.

Waiting for Cody to wake up.

That was the worst one of all. Zack couldn't figure out why his brother was waiting so long to come around. The doctors had all assured him that he would wake soon.

Soon wasn't soon enough.

"So long, Darrel." Carrie called after the policeman. She whispered, "Such a nice man."

Zack agreed with her. Darrel had been to the hospital a lot after what had happened, talking to Zack. He had also been in charge of the hunt for the people who had tortured Cody that night. Darrel was almost a brother to him.

Almost.

Carrie looked at her almost son with pity. "You should get some rest. I bet you haven't had four hours sleep since we got here."

Zack ignored her, not responding. He looked at Cody again, although he didn't know why. He had memorized his brother's features ages ago, when they were young. He looked different know, casts all over his body. Cody's hair was matted, and the deep welts that ran along his side had been bandaged.

Carrie left, planning to go get a doctor. Maybe they would prescribe a sleeping medicine for her and Zack. Zack didn't notice her leaving.

"Hey Codster, you have to wake up. We need you." Zack pushed the hair out of his brother's eyes. "You just have to."

Cody's eyes flickered. Zack rubbed his own eyes; certain that sleep deprivation had caused him to hallucinate. But no, Cody's eyes were open all the way now.

"Cody!" Zack nearly jumped on his brother, only the steady beeping of one of the machines reminded him that that would only make things worse. "Oh Cody, I thought we lost you."

Cody smiled, wincing in pain but determined to say something. "Why would I leave you? You still owe me for leaving you and that girl alone."

Zack laughed and hugged his brother. It was only when his mother came back and screamed that he burst into tears.

* * *

Ha ha! It's done! I'm so happy, I could eat a whole chocolate bunny. Hmm...where did I put that thing?

**You'd better give me some when you find it! Hey guys out there reading this, review, huh?**


	9. New Story

**I don't own it.**

**Epilogue**

Cody had been beaten and raped during his experience with the two men. He had vivid nightmares for months after the event and often confided in Zack about them.

Zack grew more and more protective of Cody to the point where he knew everything there was about him. They brew from just brothers to friends in the space of the twelve hours during which Zack had thought he might never again see Cody.

Darrel came over often, either for a birthday or holiday or to just drop by and say hi. He became one of the family after a while. Nobody minded his frequent visits.

Everyone else continued their lives a little bit more carefully, taking time to smile at someone or say goodbye when leaving, because you just don't know what can happen.

Nobody really does.

* * *

STOP YELLING AT ME! I will write another story in continuation to this one! Review if you want that story. 


End file.
